The Blues looked to be heading for their first win at the Lookers Vauxhall Stadium in four months when leading 2-1 with five minutes to go, but late goals from the Cards consigned Chester to their 14th defeat in 19 games and left them looking nervously over their shoulder in the Vanarama National League.

The Blues are four points above the drop zone and face a crucial trip to Sutton United on Saturday (3pm), but vice-captain Shaw says that their inability to see out a game effectively was their undoing once again, preventing them from securing their National League status with games to spare.

“It is devastating to be honest,” said the Chester midfielder.

“We were eight minutes from having 55 points, the season wrapped up and everybody happy. Maybe we showed a bit of naivety to give them any sort of chance. They have not really threatened us all half and all of a sudden they are on top of us. Maybe we have got to manage the game better and just kick the ball away.

“At that stage the best teams just kick the ball out of the stand or boot it up the other end of the pitch and see the game out. We have just been a bit naive and it has cost us.

“You are going have to defend some sort of attack late on when a team is chasing it. You have got to stand up and defend it and we just haven’t. I’m just devastated, all the lads are.

“Tactics go out the window when it’s that desperate and it is all about being tough and resilient and we just haven’t been. We have let ourselves down and we have let the manager down. We have to win from that position.

Chester could secure safety for another season at Sutton on Saturday and Shaw is hoping to avoid any final day nerves when they entertain Boreham Wood seven days later.

He added: “You can either feel sorry for yourself and it all goes down to the last dayand everyone is nervous or you can go about your business professionally this week and get it all wrapped up and we can enjoy a day in the sun on the last day of the season. We just have to find a way to win a game of football.”